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Propensity to firm creation: empirical research using structural equations

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Abstract

The identification of the entrepreneurs’ characteristics and the knowledge of the entrepreneurial profile of university students have been assuming a growing importance in the development of educational programs directed towards the entrepreneurship and start-up processes. This study aims to identify the factors that most contribute for the intention to start up a business. The research also tries to identify the profile of a potential entrepreneur student concerning several characteristics: personal attributes, family, demographic variables and motivations. Research findings include the idea that entrepreneurship education is the most relevant factor in what concerns the propensity to business creation. On the other side, personal characteristics have an important role in shaping motivation to start-up a business and perceived hurdles have a negative impact in the intention to start-up. The results may be relevant when developing an adequate educational program directed to the entrepreneurship education and start-up processes.

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Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to the funding provided by the INTERREG IIIA programme which supported for the research project OBSEREGIO.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business and Economics, University of Beira Interior, Estrada do Sineiro, 6200-209, Covilhã, Portugal

    Mário Lino Barata Raposo, João J. Matos Ferreira, Arminda M. Finisterra do Paço & Ricardo J. A. Gouveia Rodrigues

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  1. Mário Lino Barata Raposo
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  2. João J. Matos Ferreira
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  3. Arminda M. Finisterra do Paço
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  4. Ricardo J. A. Gouveia Rodrigues
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Correspondence to Mário Lino Barata Raposo.

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Table 7 Set of constructs and indicators
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Raposo, M.L.B., Matos Ferreira, J.J., Finisterra do Paço, A.M. et al. Propensity to firm creation: empirical research using structural equations. Int Entrep Manage J 4, 485–504 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-008-0089-9

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